Been to both, totally different. Css was too quiet for us. I think it's a perfect place for weddings and romantic honeymoons. The grounds are very beautiful and we thought the service was outstanding. The food was very good too, just not as many choices for restaurants.
Csa will always be our favorite ( #6) in April and we love the beach so much, we won't go anywhere else now .
I say give css a try, it's a couples resort after all and they are all good in their own way.

I posted the following review last spring under the title "CSS, CTI, CSA, CN ALL IN ONE TRIP - REVIEW" It may help. I should add that we are returning on 21 Feb to CSA only this year although we very nearly did a split again.

"We have just returned from a glorious 3 weeks, mainly at CSS and CSA, but with 2 days traded to CTI and CN. Apart from a gruesome return journey with Virgin ( 41 hours door to door – see my other post) it was all great.

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I thought some of you might like to hear what we thought was best about each resort, given we saw them all at virtually the same time.

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CSS – our first trip. Persuaded to try it for a week after reading your comments here. Truly top notch service, with a culture of excellence that permeates all the way through – that can only come from the top right? We just loved the quiet friendly atmosphere especially around the mineral pool. Our room – F7, right at the top – was a lovely spacious suite. More hotelly in feel than our regular CSA , but a really winning hotel with glorious gardens. Loved the Balloon Bar, and especially loved the breakfasts at Palazzina which has become our favourite breakfast place in the world. The steps were no big deal at all: I had no intention of ever running up them so a leisurely stroll up, stopping on the way the look or chat was nothing but a pleasure. We will certainly be back.

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CTI – our first visit. Well, the best pool and view in the Couples family IMHO with ludiciusly picturesque vista over the sea and island. We enjoyed our day sitting by the Main Pool on the most comfortable loungers in Couples. CTI turned out to have more of a hotel feel than the other resorts, which are more embedded in their gardens. We ate breakfast in the Patio Restaurant: the service was poor and the food was mediocre, but maybe we hit it on a bad day. We ate lunch in the Pool Grill and it was fine. We weren’t hugely taken with this resort in general, but I guess that’s why we love a choice so we can all suit our own tastes.

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CSA – our 5th visit - this time for 2 weeks- and I think still our favourite. The feel is rustic and very low rise so it seems to sink into its beautiful garden and beach setting. Best gardens, best rooms (atrium), best beach by a county mile, best lunch setting ( Sea Grapes), best evening dining ( Patois Patio), favourite evening bar (Patois Bar), best sporting facilities, best old friends. We had a room issue which was dealt with by the team. Sadly there was a very thoughtless large party of about 8 couples from Michigan who somewhat spoilt the ambiance for everyone in our last week - not just a bit of rowdyness in the pool bar which you expect occasionally, but hours of shouting “fun” in the restaurants and hours of loud music and communal singing from their verandah. I like to hear people enjoying themselves, but not for an hour at 2 am three nights on the trot. For the first time in years we attended the Repeaters Dinner and found it great fun, and with superb food. All in all, so welcoming, so relaxing and so beautiful.

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CN – we have stayed a fortnight here in the past but came only for a traded day this time around. Good all rounder, but not standing out on any feature for us. If the long beach isn’t an essential for you but you want a good big pool, pretty gardens with the rooms amongst them, only a few steps to manage plus good dining this is a very good bet. We hit a post-storm, seaweedy beach day, but staff were working hard to create some space to swim in the sea. We had an excellent lunch at the Cassava Terrace. From a previous visit I remember being very impressed with the Otaheite Restaurant, but we didn’t stay for an evening meal on this day trip. I wonder if maybe CN has the best overall food?
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I am really looking forward now to reading the first Couples Barbados reviews so we can make next year’s decision."

Three differences that are obvious:
1) No AN at CSA
CSS has Sunset Beach with full pool, swim-up bar and jacuzzi plus a large AN beach.
Largest (and best) AN set up for the Couples resorts

2) Beach at CSA is bigger and by most people's estimation better
CSS has a private beach on a cove so it is not public which is nice but it is much smaller than CSA
People say the sand at CSA is softer also. I think the beach is pretty nice at CSS but probably not as good from what others have said

3) Size of the resort
312 rooms at CSA versus 150 rooms at CSS
several effects of this. Even when we are there and the resort is at 100% capacity it does not feel that crowded
It is pretty intimate.
You can get to know people. You see them at the beach, at dinner, at the bars, etc
this is also why there are less restaurants, since there are not as many people

Other pluses for CSS
It is very romantic. Set on a cliff and has a lot of nooks and crannies to walk around
swings and jacuzzis that are hidden
lots of stairs and amazing foliage

The spa is great (I am sure this is true at CSA also)

The staff are amazing. Many have been there the entire 7 yrs that we have been going to Couples

I don't think the sports set up at CSS is as extensive as CSA but it is plenty for us
there is an outdoor running track
2 tennis courts (we use them and the pro every day)
a nice gym that looks out over the beach
and a mineral pool for a post work out soak

Overall we love CSS
If you want to try AN, you should definitely give CSS a shot
If you want to try a smaller resort with a great romantic vibe, CSS would be great for you
If you are committed to the beach experience, CSS may not meet your needs

We have gone to CSA many times and CSS once. While we loved CSS, we are beach people, and missed the long, white sand beach at CSA. However, there were many things to love about CSS, including the massage hut hanging over the cliffs. That was a highlight of all of our Couples trips - getting a massage with the ocean breeze blowing through the hut and listening to the waves crash on the shore below. CSS also has room service available throughout the day while CSA does not. And if you hate the thought of working out in an open air gym (which CSA has), you will like the air conditioned gym overlooking the Caribbean at CSS.

Ruth, we will be doing a similar thing this spring, 15 days split between negril and sans souci, with trading places to the others along the way. We did a trading places with cti last spring, and had the same experience as you. Food was pretty good, but service was poor. We were shown to our table, (with a point from 10ft away saying thats your table.) never brought any coffee, until halfway through our meal my wife stood up to get some, and a waiter told her they would bring it to our table. Still didnt get any coffee until we were practically done eating. And i ordered a made to order omelette, and was given someone elses. I hope whoever got mine liked seafood, because i had it loaded with crab meat.

We are still going to go back and check it out again, because every place deserves another chance. Like you said, maybe it was just an off day.

Jarrod - we even enjoyed the transfer trip. As we fly across the Atlantic we always do the trip from the airport in the dark so we decided to consider eh transfer as an outing. We had a great driver and shared the bus with another couple - we had a lovely few hours.

Only reason we aren't splitting next week is that we are both knackered from a really tough few months and intend to let sand gravity soak it all away.